Preheat oven to 325. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10x3 inch pan.
(If you want a square torte, use a 9x13 inch pan and use 20 cherries
for the garnish.) Do not use a spring form pan. Reserve 16 of the
best looking cherries and place them on a plate lined with a paper
towel to drain. Coarsely chop the remaining cherries. In a heavy,
large saucepan, over low heat, combine the butter, both chocolates
and sugar. Using a wooden spoon, stir frequently until the mixture
is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the reserved cherry
juice and almond extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. At first
the mixture may look separated, but it will become smooth as the
remaining eggs are added. Stir in the chopped cherries. Scrape the
mixture into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a large roasting pan
in the oven and pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway
up the sides of the cake pan. Bake the torte 60 to 70 minutes, until
a cake tester inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool the
torte about an hour and remove it onto the serving plate. It will
come out easier if it is still warm. If it sticks in spots, just
take a knife and smooth it over. The frosting will hide any
indentations. Let cool completely and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill
thoroughly, even overnight.

Ganache: In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, bring the cream to
a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the butter
and chocolate. Let the mixture sit about 5 minutes. Whisk the
mixture until all the chocolate is melted and it is smooth. Cover
the Ganache with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it has
thickened to a pudding like consistency. This should take 30 to 45
minutes. Stir occasionally. To decorate the torte, spread the
Ganache over the top and sides of the torte. I use a pastry tube to
pipe 16 rosettes around the edge and place a cherry on each rosette.
If you don't have a pastry tube, cut a small hole out of the corner
of a small plastic bag and place a dollop of Ganache on the torte,
then the cherry.